Old mansion!
by Guest.124
Summary: A female cat deity and a traveling doctor. They both meet each other under unusual circumstances. HE was part of the crowd, while SHE was about to get her head chopped off. While their reasons are different, they both want the same thing: an old mansion that is said to be haunted.
1. Introduction to what a bakeneko is

_**Spoiler alert!**_

_**Main characters.**_

_Nekomata - a female bakeneko/cat deity with a forked tail, who wishes nothing more than to retrieve and protect the mansion she has lived in for many decades._

_Law - a traveling doctor, who wishes to settle down and own the very mansion that once belonged to Nekomata._

* * *

_**Summary!**_

_**They both meet each other under unusual**_** circumstances. HE was part of the crowd, while SHE was about to get her head chopped off.**

* * *

It was the early 17th century. A time were many demons bumped the night fearing the day to come, because it was the time when humans run amock the most.

There was once an age when demons could take pride in their hereditary and enticed fear to the point where humans covered away in their homes even when the sun still lingered up above. But that was a long time ago. Now the scales were tipped. The humans found ways to fight back using strong seals and what not. No longer could demons prowl the night like they used to. Even more so, they were now mostly enslaved and treated as expandable tools.

* * *

The sun was already setting for the day. Yet a gentleman sat in the library skimming through a very old, you could even say ancient, book. It contained information about several cat deitys, but the young man was only interested in one particular type. Finding the right page, he leaned in closer to the book for better visibility, after all, with the sun sinking deeper into the earth, lighting became scarce and the small candle beside wasn't giving much of a glow either. However, not feeling discouraged by it, the man quietly mumbled out the books contents. There was no one around anymore, so no one could be distrubed by such a childish act.

''A _**Bakeneko**_ ("monster cat") refers to cat _yōkai_/demons with supernatural abilities. There are a number of superstitions that detail how ordinary cat may transform into a bakeneko. Bakeneko then haunt and menace their household.

A _bakeneko_ with a forked tail is referred to as a _**nekomata**_ ("forked cat").

According to Japanese folklore, a cat may become a _bakeneko_ by meeting any of the following three conditions: 1) living over 100 years of age, 2) reaching one _kan_ (3.75 kg or 8.25 lbs) in weight, and/or 3) growing its tail too long, which, according to myth, may fork into two. This particular kind of _bakeneko_ is referred to as a **_nekomata_**.

Once transformed, _bakeneko_ gain a range of paranormal powers. These powers are used to haunt the household they live in. They include: menacing (even eating) sleeping humans, walking on its hind legs, flying, talking, creating ghostly fireballs, leaping over a fresh corpse, turning it into a zombie, shapeshifting into human forms.

They may use their shape-shifting powers to live a life as a human would normally, sometimes by taking the place of a member of the household after killing and consuming them in their sleep. They may take the form of a person they intend to kill or harm. Other stories tell about how a _bakeneko_ may sometimes shape-shift into a beautiful girl, so that their owner would be able to marry them and have children.

_Bakeneko_ also have the ability to eat anything in their way, regardless of size or edibility. This includes humans. Their main food is poison, particularly a certain snake unknown to humankind.

_Bakeneko_ are also sometimes said to have the power to enter someone's dreams.

Bakeneko prefer to eat large birds, not small are very fond of eating cattle as well, since cattle are a big meal and they are easy to catch.

_Legends_

There are many legends about the _bakeneko_.

One famous _bakeneko_ story is about a man named Takasu Genbei, whose mother's personality changed completely after his pet cat went missing for many years. His mother avoided the company of friends and family and would take her meals alone in her room. When the family peeked in on her they saw a cat-like monster in the mother's clothes, chewing on animal carcasses. Takasu, still skeptical, slew what looked like his mother and after one day his mother's body turned back into his pet cat that had been missing.

Yet another story tells of a poor old couple who kept a small cat. Since they were unable to bear children, they came to treat the cat as their child. After the old man fell sick, a mysterious woman appeared on their doorstep, claiming to be the cat and swearing she would repay their kindness. She brought the couple much wealth; in some versions they were happy just to have a daughter. One of her admirers happened to see her in her true form so she pleaded that he not tell anyone. A few weeks later he broke his promise telling a fisherman and passengers on a ship what he'd seen. A vicious storm arose and the woman appeared in the clouds overhead. She grew into a large cat and killed him.

Another story is about a cat owned by a high-ranking geisha. Every time she would try to go to the toilet, the cat would claw at her robes to keep her away. Because of the cat's strange behavior, the geisha killed it. But as she began to use the toilet, the ghost of the cat killed a snake that was lurking nearby.

Benevolent bakeneko

Not all _bakeneko_ are bad; in some stories they are faithful and good-hearted to their owners. Three stories in particular tie benevolent bakeneko to the legend of the famous maneki neko.

One such story is about a _bakeneko_ named Tama. Tama's owner was a very poor priest who lived in a rundown temple in Setagaya, west of Tokyo. The priest would tell Tama, "I'm keeping you in spite of my poverty, so couldn't you do something for this temple?" One day the daimyo of the Hikone district, Ii Naotaka, was standing under a tree to avoid the rain. Naotaka became aware of a cat beckoning him to a temple gate. As he began to walk the tree was struck by lightning. Afterwards, Naotaka became friends with the temple priest, and donated lots of money to have the run-down temple rebuilt. When Tama died, the priest built a grave for the cat; eventually, a shrine was built within the temple grounds dedicated to the "beckoning cat". Gotokuji temple still stands today; the nearby Gōtokuji Station on the Odakyu Line was named after it.

There is a story of a woman and her daughter,who seeing a wealthy young man traveling alone,decided to rob laid out some food in a tent,gave him a robe to wear and secretly put some sleeping powder in his before he drank the drink,a deep sleep came upon the woman and her they woke up,they saw a large tiger wearing the robe and eating the fled away and returned much later to see that the young man and the tiger were only tracks leaving the tent were those of a tiger.''

He closed the book feeling that this newfound knowladge was more then enough to go by. It was a good start for what the young man had in mind.

* * *

**A/N**: As i have a habit of doing, the first chapters meant to give a taste of what the story is about, hope you enjoyed it.

Oh, and, as you probably guessed, the contents from the book are from google. XP


	2. Asking quest, and a little description

**A/N:** I realize it's taking me forever to write chapters. I'm sorry!

..The first chapter was to introduce you dear readers to what a nekomata is and what they can do..

..I hope you stick around for more chapters to come..

* * *

Leaving the library, the young man sets out to go back to a room at an inn he reserved several hours before. This had been a long day for the poor gentlemen.

* * *

(events before the library)

He arrived at this village early in the morning after a nights walk through a dense forest that aligns this territory, till the afternoon he sought out the cheapest inn he could find and, without even taking a nap, he went around the city asking about a certain mansion he was interested in. The One Piece mansion.

The villagers didn't wish to talk much about it, so the information given to him was very poor. And if they did give an answer to his questions with more than just one syllable, the words coming out were filled with venom.

After hours of asking around one thing was clear to the young doctor. None of them liked anything **even** related to that mansion.

Feeling both hungry and tired from all of it, he had found himself a bar, where he had sat down. Examining its patrons, they were all townsfolk, but deciding against going up them and asking anything (he was growing fast tired and annoyed by it), he went for a meal as it brought more satisfaction.

The bartender, already hearing about a traveler and his little asking quest, had thought up answers to give in case he too was asked, but to his disappointment, the young lad didn't. It's not like the bartender has any less venomous feelings for the One Piece Mansion, but, even with such a topic, he wouldn't pass up a chance for a good chat, especially with someone new to the village. What can i say? He is that kind of talkative person!

''Hey, youngster, are you by any chance the traveler going around and asking questions about the One Piece Mansion?''

Momentarily stopping his eating, the one in question replied. ''And what if i am?''

''Now, now, don't be so dull. I just thought you might like to hear a few things i have to say? Or have already had enough?''

Suddenly becoming very interested at what the bartender had to say. ''No, please continue.''

''Great, what do you want to hear first?'' He piped at having a new person to talk to.

''That mansion. I hear a monster is living there. Is that monster the owner?''

''No! Of course, NOT! That demon has no claim upon anything. Like every other demon species, they are forbidden to own anything. That thing is simply part of the mansion. It's a sort of guarding dog, so to speak. It doesn't let anyone near. Humans and demons alike.''

_'Finally someone who can conjure up proper sentences'_, thought the young doctor. ''Then is there someone controlling that beast?''

''There used to be, but the owner left decades ago. He is probably dead, by now.''

''Interesting! That means that beast is the only one there.''

''Correct! It is said that whoever tames the beast that dwells inside that mansion will become its rightful owner.''

''Is this saying even legit?''

''As a matter of fact, it is. Before leaving completely, the previous owner left his will. In it he clearly stated that it will be completely lawful for one man to own that mansion and everything in it, IF the beast, Nekomata as he called it, is tamed and kept at the owners side.''

''At side? In other words, anywhere the owners goes,...''

The bartender laughed out load interrupting the young man. ''No, no, not that precise. There is a medallion around its neck. It is with a jewel in the middle and an emblem of a bakeneko curling around it. To that beast that medallion is its collar. I dot not know if it has any affects while still around its neck, but in the hands of the owner it would become a Controller. So whoever has that medallion, will be considered the true owner.''

''My fair man, do know what kind of beast we have been talking this whole time?''

''Yes, in fact, i do. It is a cat-like demon called a bakeneko.'' Stated the bartender proud of knowing this.

''A bakeneko? This is the first time i have heard of it.''

''I'm not surprised! They **are** quite a rarity these days. The Government disliked them roaming among humans and forcing themselves into our families, so they were hunted down years ago. For the most part, anyway.''

''Then how did the one in the mansion survive?''

''Pure luck, i guess.''

''I can't believe that luck is all it took.''

''Welllll, i also heard from the hunters that it knows humans well enough to evade them.''

''Hunters?''

''Oh, yes! Demon hunters! The head of our village has payed them a large sum to hunt it down. They go there almost every night and come back, here, to this village during the day. They have been at it for a few months already, though.''

''And unsuccessful?''

''Unfortunately! But nor for long. Or so they assured me. They came here for a drink just yesterday. Were boasting how close they are to capturing it.''

His meal was already finished and not having any more questions to ask _for now_, he stood up to leave. ''Thank you for your time. You have made my meal most enjoyable. If i ever have any other things i would wish to be cleared up, mind if i come to seek your knowledge again, Mister Bartender?''

''My pleasure, lad. Come by anytime.''

With a last nod Trafalgar Law left. Making his way towards a new destination. The library. _'I have to find out more about this bakeneko, if i want to move another step towards my dream. Asking around now would be useless. The library however should serve my purpose well.'_

* * *

And that is how he ended up in the library. Logic.

* * *

_And for a little description about our main male character.._

Trafalgar Law.

26 years of age.

Law is a slim man of a relatively tall height. As for his facial features, he has faint shadows right under both of his gray eyes, and his mouth is usually seen in a smile. He has dark blue hair, a majority of which is obscured, save for his sideburns and small black goatee by a fur hat/cap that Law wears. Aside his hat, his wardrobe consists of a yellow t-shirt with a black jacket over the shirt, and black boots to go along. He also sports a pair of small earrings on each ear.

He has many tribal-style tattoos on his arms. On both his hand, in particular, are the letters **D**, **E**, **A**, **T**, and **H** tattooed in black on each of the back of his fingers. He also has a black cross on the back of his right hand.

He is a physician and doctor.

Until now he has earned his keep by selling various herbs and other medical items that help aid a persons health. But it brought little to his pocket and all the traveling was starting to unnerve him.

He wishes to find a place where he can fit in and settle down, though _he knew_ that it would be wiser NOT to place too much hope on the _'fitting in'_ part. Since he was a child, people have always viewed him as an oddball. His poor interaction skills didn't help. His like for human dissection was **even** more scary. A kid wanting to dissect people? Many have thought of him as possessed by something evil, but upon examination no priest or demon hunter found any valid signs of possession by a demon. He was released of any charges. His other option would have been the stake. Still his home village stayed vary of him. Even his parents kept their distance. This lead him to choose the life of a traveler rather then stay where he wasn't needed. But all travels must have an ending.

* * *

For that very purpose he was now in Meddolow village. The village itself was quite plain and boring looking. You could find these kind of villages all over the land. But what made it special for the young gentlemen is the mansion near it. It has numerous legends enticed into its history and is said to be haunted. And as he found out today, it really is.

He first heard about the One Piece Mansion, when his travels led him to a completely different village, that was once formed as place for travelers to settle down. He had gone there for that reason, but instead of finding a home, because of once again not fitting in, he heard about the One Piece Mansion. It enticed him. It didn't take much pondering before he set out again. This time towards a new _possible_ home.

* * *

**A/N**: Law's way of speech may have been more than just a bit off in this, or more than just a bit off! I will better next time!


End file.
